Seba Johnson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Johnson in 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| National team | United States Virgin Islands |
| Born | May 1, 1973[1] |
| Alma mater | Howard University[2] |
| Other interests | Animal rights, acting, activism, public speaking |
| Website | www.sebajohnson.com |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States Virgin Islands |
| Sport | Alpine skiing |
Events | |
| Retired | 1992[3] |
| Updated on 14 August 2016 | |
Seba Johnson is an African American Olympic athlete, actress, and vegan animal rights activist.[4][3] She was the first black woman to ski at the Olympics, and the youngest alpine ski racer in Olympic history (she competed at age 14).[3]
Johnson was born in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her father was a Tutsi tribesman from Burundi, Africa, and her mother, Suzy, a New Hampshire native, raised Johnson and her half-sister exclusively.[4][3][5][6] Suzy raised Johnson as a vegan from birth, and took her to animal rights protests from a young age.[5]
Johnson spent her childhood traveling with her family to numerous countries, living for a time in New Hampshire and Maine, and later moving to Stateline, Nevada, on the shore of Lake Tahoe.[5][7][8][6] Johnson began skiing at the age of seven.[8] After moving to Nevada, she trained at Heavenly Valley Ski Resort while her mother worked at a casino to support the family.[9]
Athletic career and activism
At age 14, Johnson represented the Virgin Islands in giant slalom and Super-G at the 1988 Winter Olympics, where she became the youngest alpine ski racer and first black female skier in Olympic history. She was also the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1][3][10] At age 15, Johnson became the first black ski racer to finish in the top 30 in international competition.[8] She competed again for the Virgin Islands in slalom and giant slalom at the 1992 Winter Olympics.[1] As of 2014, she remains the only black woman to ski competitively at the Olympic Games.[11]
In 1989, Johnson was disqualified from a World Cup ski race for refusing to wear a suit containing wool and leather.[12][4] Johnson qualified for the 1994 Winter Olympics, but chose not to compete in protest of Norway's decision to resume whaling.[4][3][11] She petitioned the IOC to challenge Japan to end whale and dolphin hunting before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[11] Johnson has also spoken out against homophobia, criticizing the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia for the "horrid anti-gay law that now exists in that host country".[11]
